How To Really Save a Life
by Aspiring young writer
Summary: How episode 11x21 would have gone if I was running the show. Set after Derek's car crash. Please review good or bad!
1. Chapter 1

_**What should have happened on episode 11x21 hope you like it either way please review it!**_

It's just after 5 o'clock, Meredith sees the harsh flashing lights of police cars pull up in the drive way. She knows what this means. She has been hoping all day she was nervous for no reason, now she knew she was wrong.

"Mrs. Shepard?" says the officer after she opened the door "Your husband Derek was in an accident, I need you to come with me to the hospital."

After Meredith called Amelia to look after Bailey and Zola, she finds herself silently riding to the hospital with the cop, wondering why he didn't show any emotion at the door. "Doesn't he know who Derek is? He is the best neurosurgeon in the country, that's why the President wanted him he is the best. Derek is the best..."

Getting out of the car, still in a state of shock, Meredith calmly walked into this strange hospital, and was escorted to Derek's room. She stood outside the door not quite ready to go in. She had no idea if he was even alive, she never got the nerve to ask the policeman, afraid she would hear the worst.

She finally opened the door and walked into Derek's room. Standing in the doorway she saw her husband lying still in the bed, looking peaceful, as peaceful a person can looking with cuts, bruises, and tubes everywhere. Meredith was taken aback at the sight of Derek, the love of her life, father of her children, so badly damaged. He was so hurt she almost couldn't take it. That's when Meredith was able to pull herself together long enough to look at the monitors, he was alive.

Meredith pulled a chair next to Derek's bed, taking his wrist just to make sure he really did have a pulse, to make sure this all wasn't just a dream.

Derek woke up at her touch, "Meredith... don't worry I promised you I wouldn't die before... I haven't forgotten that promise"

Meredith not wanting to show him how nervous she actually was climbed onto the bed next to him, hiding her face so he would't see her tears of anxiousness and relief.

After a few hours of resting Meredith woke up next to her husband determined. She checked his pulse again before she left the room.

Meredith had talked with the doctors, they were able to stabilize him when he came in. "Thank you for saving him" she managed to utter. When they left her and turned the corner she could hear the two of them arguing over the best form of treatment. Meredith didn't agree with either of their opinions. Meredith began thinking "There's more you can do than just that, he can make a full recovery".

"Owen, Derek got into a bad accident. He is in critical condition, vitals stabilizing, I don't trust them Owen I'm sure they are good doctors but I don't trust his life with anyone but the surgeons at Grey Sloan Memorial. The treatments they want aren't right for him, I need him to be looked by people we both trust. I'm going to have him transferred there as soon as possible"

Derek's doctors tried to persuade Meredith to wait until Derek's vitals where better to move him, but she knew he needed the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial. The next day Derek was transported to the hospital he was familiar with. After going over his chart everyone agreed he was stable for now, until Amelia showed up.

"He needs a new head CT. With the force to the head that was sustained in the crash not everything is visible through the swelling immediately after the accident, he needs a follow up CT"

Meredith agreed to have Derek's head checked again, waiting patiently with Amelia to come back with the results.

"Meredith, the results aren't bad, he has a little more swelling than I would like, that's not a huge problem at this time. He does seem to have a small clot forming..."

Meredith sits anxiously in silence, her husband the neurosurgeon needs brain surgery.

"...it's routine Meredith, I can go in and fix him up for good. Trust me Meredith"

"Amelia I do trust you, its just hard... hard to know that his brain needs to be repaired, when it is the best part of him... he was able to save all those people in the crash today because he is so smart"

"Hey, Meredith I'll have him back figuring out ways to remove inoperable tumors in no time, don't worry"

As Meredith sat with Zola and Bailey in the hospital playroom she couldn't help but think of all the times she had spent with Derek, all the great things they experienced together, all the tragedies that made them stronger. That night they met at the bar, the next day. When he saved her life after falling into the ocean. They had survived a plane crash together, she watched him get shot, she left him in jail for a night, when they didn't think they were going to get custody of Zola, and when they finally did, when Bailey was born, and when the President asked him to go to D.C. when he came back missing them. They had been through a lot together. She couldn't imagine her life without him, and was so happy she had found him. "You two have the best dad in the world... I hope you realize that"

A couple hours later Derek was back in his room sleeping. Amelia had reassured Meredith that everything went as planned in surgery. Derek would make a full recovery.

Derek wakes up and sees Meredith in a chair next to his bed. "Meredith, I'm sorry, I was stupid, I just figured no one had been on that road for hours..."

"Derek, stop it, do not apologize to me. I don't need an apology I just need you"

"I never should have gone to D.C. I should have stayed with you and the kids, I never should have left you, you are my world, you keep me going"

"We've been through hell and back but the only thing that matters is I love you and your ferryboat scrub caps, your determination, our post it note and our kids"

"Surgeons aren't supposed to make promises, I promised you I wouldn't die, and I'm going to keep it, Meredith because the life I have with you and the kids is worth living for.


	2. Chapter 2

_One month after Derek's surgery_

Meredith has just gone back to work full time after taking time off to care for Derek. He had an additional surgery to fix another clot that had formed.

"Owen, can you stop by the house when your shift is over? Derek gets very agitated staying on the couch all day, he is very frustrated with the way his recovery is going"

"I have to check in on one patient and I'll go right over. Last I heard he was recovering well, did he have another set back?"

"No, he's still making small improvements he just wants his full mobility back and to be able to work again"

* * *

It took Derek what felt like a half an hour to get up and answer the door, he feels like he is trapped moving in slow motion. Derek opened the door and was surprised to see Owen, who did not look like he was annoyed about the length of time he was waiting at the door.

"Owen hey, did Mer send you? Did she forget something?"

Owen helped Derek get back onto the couch. He was surprised. Meredith made him sound like he was in much worse shape.

"No I just came to see how you were doing"

"It's been awful I'm trying to stay strong for Mer and the kids but I hate not being able to move as fast as I want to, I can't play or help with the kids, Mer comes home tired from work and has to take care of the kids and me"

Owen was shocked hearing Derek sound so hopeless, when really he seems to be recovering perfectly well.

"It sucks but Amelia says your recovering really well for how bad the accident was… Do you think you could be freaking yourself out mentally?"

Derek denied it but he knew that Owen was right. He got this amazing second chance at life. What if he misses a milestone in the kids lives because of work? What if he can't save a patient the same way he used to? Derek was feeling the pressure of having a second chance at life and not wanting to make one mistake with it.

* * *

Meredith had two hours between surgeries and gave all her paper work to Jo. She needed a break she was overwhelmed at work and at home. She knew she needed to talk to Cristina.

Dialing the phone Meredith was nervous Cristina wouldn't be awake yet. "Mer! Hey, how is everything?"

"Not great, Derek's very frustrated with his recovery he thinks it's taking too long, I just don't know how to help him, I'm back to work now and I'm afraid he's gonna get depressed with me being gone more"

"Oh Mer, Derek knows who you are, he knows how much you value work and he knows you care about him. He needs to realize the accident could've been much worse, he could've been paralyzed, I'm sure he is frustrated but he needs to be grateful, that he even is able to recover from this. It seems bad now, but it will get better."

"I know, I know, he's just awful seeing him like this, he hates not being able to leave the house"

"The improvements are baby steps for an accident like this, six months from now he'll be back at work or close to it, just support him and keep him motivated, and you stay motivated by knowing this situation will only last for a few months. Derek's a strong guy, he's going through a tough time he'll bounce back"

"Your right, we're lucky he's even going to be able to have a full recovery, we have to be very grateful for that, I need to get him excited about life again, he's becoming too concerned about every little detail…"

"Yeah get him back to being the carefree guy you met at a bar"

Meredith was so happy that she was able to get a hold of Cristina, she really needed a pep talk and Cristina even has her laughing. "I don't know if I want him that care free again, Cristina"

* * *

"Alright, Derek see you on Friday, you better be ready to hand over the money cause I guarantee the Seahawks are going to win"

After talking with Owen, he feels more hopeful and is comforted by the fact that he is still with his family, unlike Mark, Lexie, and George who weren't as lucky after their terrible accidents. Derek has now become more determined to make a full recovery, since he was given a change that his friends were not.

"And now back to the couch" Derek mumbled to himself.


End file.
